Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan blames Sangh for creating Sabarimala mess

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday accused the ‘sangh parivar’ and its associates of turning the Sabarimala temple into a conflict zone and vowed to implement the Supreme Court order in the next long-season pilgrimage starting in November. He also slammed the temple tantri and the Pandalam royal family for claiming rights and powers over the Lord Ayyappa shrine that they do not possess.

The Chief Minister, who was abroad when the temple opened for the five-day monthly pujas on October 17, broke his silence over the temple unrest before the media here. A dozen women in the hitherto barred age group of 10 to 50 were stopped during the five-day brief season far away from the hilltop temple which opened for the first time following the Supreme Court’s September 28 landmark verdict allowing all women inside the temple breaking centuries-old tradition.

“Even before the temple opened, the Sangh Parivar forces had their plans laid out. The government never stopped any devotee at all. Instead, it provided all support as it is its constitutional responsibility to see that the apex court verdict is adhered to,” Vijayan said. He said Sabarimala is a religious institution and peace and tranquillity has to be preserved but the Sangh Parivar forces “took over”. “Their agenda was to convert Sabarimala into a conflict zone and we will ensure that at the upcoming festival season (the two-month-long season that begins on November 17), the government would do everything possible to abide by the top court’s order. He said it would be ensured that during that period no devotee would be allowed to stay there beyond a particular time. (IANS)